


Coffee Shop Soundtrack

by AnthemInMyOlwyn



Category: Elliot Minor (Band)
Genre: Belated Birthday Present, Best Friends, F/M, Slow Burn, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 04:55:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20058364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnthemInMyOlwyn/pseuds/AnthemInMyOlwyn
Summary: After her latest relationship draws to a sticky conclusion, Steph decides that enough is enough - no longer will she be putting up with guys who are not worth her time or energy, no longer will she put in double the effort when the guys don’t even attempt to share the relationship load. It’s time to concentrate on herself and focus strictly on her career as a Sound Engineer / Music Producer. However, before she can even begin to make a start, her best friend, Lottie, introduces her to a tall, handsome and very charming guy; enter one, Alexander James Davies.





	Coffee Shop Soundtrack

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Luckystar01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luckystar01/gifts).

> This was meant to be a Birthday Present for my best friend (LuckyStar01)  
I am SO sorry that it's late, but I REALLY hope that you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!  
\- **_AnthemInMyOlwyn_**

“Just in case you’re not keeping score, I’ve officially had it with men.” Steph announces miserably as she slams her bag down on the freshly polished counter before taking a seat at one of the accompanying stools where her best friend of ten year is standing. As she scans her surroundings, Steph lets her head fall on top of her bag as she lets out a low groan and adds, “They suck.”

“And a good morning to you too, Bestie.” Lottie mutters sarcastically, her free hand reaching under the counter for a clean mug. “Would you like your usual this morning, or would you like to try one of our Winter Specials instead? They’re actually really good…”

“Sorry, morning and yeah just my usual today, please?” Steph replies, her tone tired as she sits back up.

Lottie doesn’t say anything in response, she just simply nods in response as she turns around to start up the coffee machine, her hands moving with trained precision as she guides the mug under the dispenser after pouring in a little milk.

After working here part-time whilst studying at College, Lottie had become somewhat of an expert when it came to whipping up hot drinks, sometimes even creating a new blend that Steph would volunteer to test, feeding back to her whether it was good enough to release to the public or if she should work out a couple of kinks somewhat first. All of the good ideas have been placed safely in a small pocketbook she keeps safe so that when she has managed to save up the funds to open her own specialized writing café, she has something extra special to serve her creative customers.

Of course, that dream is a long way into the future, but still…

“So, I take it things between you and Ethan aren’t going anywhere?” Lottie asks sympathetically when she’s finished and places the steaming mug of coffee on the counter in front of her friend, who reaches for her wallet. Lottie shakes her head and adds, “It’s on the house. C’mon, talk to me.”

“Thanks, and you would be correct. It’s beyond frustrating. I mean, it’s not like I want him to ask me to marry him, but a simple recognition of our relationship isn’t too much to ask, right?” Steph groans, picking up the hot beverage and taking a short sip before continuing. “I swear I’ve had enough but I don’t know what to do… what should I do? Do I break it off with him or do I just play it out and see what happens?”

“Hang on, you’re asking me for relationship advice? _Me_? Really? Wow, you must be desperate.” Lottie scoffs as the machine behind her beeps and she picks up the cloth once more, resuming the polishing of the counter top.

“Please? I seriously don’t know what to do.” Steph pleads before pointing out. “Besides, you have Brandon.”

“You mean the guy who lives all the way in Boston, Massachusetts which is approximately 3,244 miles away from here? That’s hardly a relationship, Steph. I mean, as much as I would like it to be, it’s an unrealistic expectation at best.” Lottie replies with a shrug, unable to keep the disappointment out of her own voice but smiling sadly nonetheless at the thought of her American musician… her Peter Pan.

“You still talk to him on a regular basis though, which is more than I can say about Ethan.”

_Well, there’s no arguing that point_, Lottie thinks as she looks down at what she’s doing, her movements slow.

Ever since they first met, Ethan hasn’t been much of a conversationalist.

In all honesty, that’s just one of the many things she loves about Brandon. It doesn’t matter where he is, or what he’s doing, he always somehow manages to find the time and a decent Internet connection in order to video chat on Skype, respond to messages on Twitter and like a few of her posts on Instagram… when she actually gets around to posting, that is. Hell, he even took a break at work to record a song for her birthday; who else can say that a guy has done that for them? Probably not many, that’s for sure. But still… that was a long time ago, things have changed since then and the communication between the two of them had unwillingly dwindled to nothing, mainly on Brandon’s part, but Lottie can’t help but tell herself it’s just because he’s been busy focusing on his music. The sooner he releases his debut album, the sooner he can get his ass over here.

Lottie pushes the thought of Brandon to the back of her mind as she looks back at her friend.

“If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t it you who told me that it was only going to be a Summer fling whilst your studio was being refurbished?” Lottie asks, halting what she was doing once more, bouncing the conversation back to Steph. “It’s now Winter and your studio has been transformed, so if you’re not happy with how things are, then just tell Ethan that enough is enough, either he starts putting in some effort, or… you walk.”

“Initially it was just something to keep me occupied, yeah, then I really started to like him and I hoped that he felt the same way about me too…” Steph answers, looking down into the mug at the swirling liquid inside. “I think I am going to have to talk to him about this but it’s not going to be easy. I mean, if he doesn’t talk about his feelings in general, then he’s not going to want to talk about where this relationship is going.”

“Well, before you make any rash decisions, why don’t you sleep on it first?” Lottie suggests, glancing up at the clock behind Steph’s left shoulder.

**11:30**…

Without drawing her best friend’s attention away from her own mug, Lottie turns back round to face the coffee machine and starts to prepare another hot drink, knowing that any minute now one of her regulars will be stepping through the front doors of the café, looking for his usual order.

“Maybe… hey, could I stay round yours tonight? I really don’t want to face him until I’m ready.” Steph asks.

She finally looks up at Lottie as she twiddles with a strand of her hair, curling it round her finger in a nervous gesture.

“Of course, you know you don’t need to ask my permission, you’re welcome anytime; that’s why you have a key.” Lottie smiles, pouring the dark liquid into the awaiting mug and placing it on the counter just as the bell above the door rings out and a tall, scruffy looking guy steps in.

Ah, right on cue.

“Can you hold that thought just for one second… good morning, Alexander. I have your black coffee ready as usual, and if you give me one second, I’ll bring it over to the booth for you.” Lottie greets, motioning for him to take a seat.

“Thanks, _Charlotte_.” Alex replies with a wry smile as he puts one hand in his front pocket whilst he runs the other hand through his hair, mussing it up even more than usual. “If it’s not too much trouble, can I also get a couple of blueberry muffins, and a Ham and Cheese toastie, please?”

“That’s not a problem.” Lottie notes, jotting the order on a sticky note and placing it by the cash register.

“Erm…” Alex starts, his finger twisting with the hem of his hoodie as he looks up at Lottie nervously.

Lottie raises an eyebrow as she watches him.

“Would it also be okay to put it on my tab and I’ll pay you on Friday, plus a little extra?”

“Hmm… well, seeing as it’s you.” Lottie teases, throwing a wink in his direction.

Alex visibly relaxes as he lets out a low laugh, shaking his head as he makes his way over to his usual booth in the far corner of the café.

Knowing how frequently he actually visits the place, Lottie took it upon herself to place a permanent ‘**_RESERVED_**’ sign on top of the table, which confused the hell out of Alex when he came in the next week, he even went as far as sitting at a different table before she explained why it was there. He was so embarrassed at not realizing it was for him, that he couldn’t help but let out a nervous chuckle…

_I just about melted at that shy smile of his_, Lottie thinks fondly, a small smile on her own lips.

The sound of skin connecting with the polished wood brought Lottie back to the present moment and she quickly shakes her head and starts to fiddle with the cash register before getting a plate out from beneath the counter.

“Lottie… hello? Can you hear me? Who on earth is that?!” Steph breathes out, her blue eyes completely transfixed on the man.

As Lottie turns her attention back to her best friend, a light bulb flashes in her mind.

Deciding to plead ignorance, Lottie straightens out her apron and says, “Hmm? Oh, that guy… he’s just one of my regulars. He always comes in at the same time every week and orders the same mug of black coffee – sometimes tea - plus a little extra if he’s meeting someone… but you know, I’ve been thinking about the question you asked me earlier and I think that you **should** break things off with Ethan.”

“What? But you…” Steph starts but Lottie presses on.

“In fact, you should go and see him right now, get it over with, and then you should meet me at my place once you’re done.”

“Are you feeling okay?” Steph asks, as she looks at Lottie, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Of course… are _you_ feeling okay?” Lottie counters, rolling her eyes as she sets about getting Alex’s order ready.

_If I could just grab a moment alone with Alex, then I can put my plan into motion_.

Steph doesn’t respond right away, she just keeps watching Lottie for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh, shrugging her shoulders as she picks up her mug once more to drink the last dregs of her coffee before jumping off the stool. “Okay. I’m going to head and see Ethan; you’re right, I need to get this over and done with. There’s no point in dragging out the inevitable. Besides, he’ll probably be grateful to get rid of me.”

“Don’t say that!” Lottie exclaims, frowning at her friends’ words as she reaches across the counter in order to pull her into a hug. “**You** should be grateful to finally be getting rid of him, not the other way around; he doesn’t deserve you, and he never has from the day you met. Trust me on this, the right guy will make an appearance, and I’m thinking you won’t have long to wait. At least, not if I have anything to do with it.”

“Thanks, Lottie.” Steph says, an air of confidence surrounding her once more as she reaches for her bag and hitches it higher onto her shoulder before turning to face the door. But just as she was about to take a step, she suddenly turned back round and whispered, “Hey, do me a favor and get your regular’s number for me before he leaves; he’s hot!”

With that said, Steph was out the door while Lottie remained, letting out a loud laugh.

Alex looked up from his phone but Lottie quickly ducked her head down and pretended to look busy.

When you’ve been best friends with someone for little over a decade, you start to develop a tell which helps you pick up on the things that they both love and hate, whether it be a favorite hot drink, favorite book, favorite holiday / shopping destination… whatever it might be, as best friends you learn to pay attention. So, finding someone you know who would be perfect for your bestie? Well, that’s a skill that can only grow over time but right now, Lottie is absolutely confident in her decision.

Picking up Alex’s order slip, Lottie sets to work in order to get everything ready.

Once the mini microwave oven dings to signal that the toaster is ready, Lottie turns off the machine and places the golden crispy sandwich onto a plate and proceeds to finish making the coffee. After grabbing a selection of muffins -the majority of them being Blueberry – Lottie carries the tray over to where Alex was patiently waiting, his eyes glued to the smartphone in his hand as his other twists the hair of his fringe round his fingers.

“Here you go; one black coffee, one Ham and Cheese toastie and your muffins, as requested.”

“Thanks, Charlotte; you’re the best,” Alex praises as Lottie sets the tray down on the table.

“I’d hold onto that thought if I were you… may I?” Lottie asks, motioning towards the free chair opposite him, her head tilted to one side.

Alex watches her for a second before nodding.

Lottie grins as she takes a seat.

“I have a proposal for you.”

Alex raises an eyebrow at this as he takes a sip of his coffee, and Lottie takes his silence as permission to continue with her offer.

_Well, here goes nothing_…


End file.
